Search Continues For Missing Yellowstone National Park Worker

The search continues today for a missing man in Yellowstone National Park.

The 22-year-old male, Austin King, works for one of the park's concessionaires. King contacted friends and family via phone on September 17th from the summit of Eagle Peak. He has not been heard from since.

Search and rescue efforts were initiated after King failed to arrive for his boat pickup near Yellowstone Lake’s Southeast Arm on Friday afternoon, Sept. 20, after a scheduled, seven-day hike into the backcountry.

King last spoke with friends on September 17th.

According to a post from the Yellowstone National Park Facebook page, King told his contacts on September 17th that he was experiencing inclement weather conditions on the summit of Eagle Peak, including fog, rain, sleet, hail, and windy conditions.

Rescuers discovered King's campsite and personal belongings Saturday evening at the upper Howell Creek area. On Sunday, reconnaissance efforts included more than 20 ground searchers, two helicopters, unmanned air systems, and a search dog team, who focused their efforts near Eagle Peak.

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Austin King is 6’ tall, 160 pounds, with brown hair, and hazel eyes. He wears glasses and is believed to be wearing a black sweatshirt and gray pants. Multiple agencies are assisting with the search, including staff of Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Park County, WY SAR, and Teton County, WY SAR.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts should contact the Yellowstone Interagency Communications Center at 307-344-2643.

According to the Cowboy State Daily, at least 6 people have disappeared in Yellowstone National Park since the late 1960s, never to be found again.